Jivamukti’s 2012 Blueprint For Joy: Kris Carr kicks off the week

This week marks the annual gathering of the Jivamukti Tribe, and we're bringing you highlights from each day's keynote speaker. First up: Crazy Sexy Kris Carr.

Sharon Gannon greets Kris Carr with a bow.

This week marks the annual gathering of the Jivamukti Tribe—a six-day love fest where Sharon Gannon and David Life’s followers come from around the world to take classes with the masters and get a mega-dose of Jiva philosophy. It’s like the Woodstock of vegan yogis.

While three-hour daily mat sessions with Sharon and David are the gathering’s centerpiece, each day also features a keynote speaker who addresses a different aspect of Ahimsa, the yogic concept of “do no harm” and a central aspect of being a Jiva devotee. (These sessions are free and open to the public!)

We’re bringing you highlights from each day’s speaker. First up: Kris Carr.

Carr shared her crazy sexy vegan wisdom with about 100 members of the tribe (and guests) yesterday, discussing her conversion to an animal-free, juice-heavy diet after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer nine years ago.

“It was at Jivamukti where I was first introduced to these ideas,” she said.

To anyone who knows Carr’s books and philosophy, her talk was familiar terrain. She covered the importance of juicing, reducing inflammation in the body via the foods you eat, and why alkalinity is an essential element of health (all while showing off her quirky sense of humor). She answered questions about which juicers are the best, ditching gluten, and cancer treatment.

Then, she moved to the importance of New Year’s resolutions.” I have new, deeper levels that I want to experience this year,” she explained, passing the mic to hear what the yogis in the room were resolving to do in 2012.

They had lots of answers—from giving up sugar to engaging in activism—but from the vibe in the room and the copious applause, it seemed lots of them were silently resolving to be more like Kris.